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Bitcoin fell to a nine-month low near $82,134 as a broad global risk-off move hit both crypto and equity markets, driven by a mix of macroeconomic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. The decline saw Bitcoin drop about 7.4% in 24 hours, while the overall crypto market lost roughly 6.7% in value, triggering around $1.68 billion in liquidations. Investors pulled back amid heightened volatility, with selling pressure reflecting reduced appetite for risk across global financial markets.
Policy developments in the United States added to market stress, including President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would soon name a new Federal Reserve chair, with former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh emerging as the leading candidate. Expectations that a more hawkish Fed leadership could emerge weighed on Bitcoin sentiment, while a new executive order targeting countries trading oil with Cuba, alongside concerns about Iran and ongoing global conflicts, further pushed investors toward safety. A late Senate agreement to fund the government helped stabilize markets slightly, allowing for a modest recovery in Bitcoin and equities toward the end of the period. Source
Escape Velocity has raised nearly $62 million to invest in decentralized physical infrastructure network projects, highlighting a selective return of venture capital to crypto infrastructure despite ongoing funding slowdowns across tech and digital assets. The fund, which closed in December, is the firm’s second focused on DePIN and other crypto-native sectors and attracted backing from prominent investors including Marc Andreessen and Ribbit Capital founder Micky Malka, alongside a $15 million allocation from Cendana Capital. The raise reflects sustained belief that DePIN could play a meaningful role in connecting blockchain systems with real-world infrastructure, even as many projects struggle to mature beyond early-stage token launches.
Industry data suggests the sector remains small but resilient, with DePIN networks collectively valued around $10 billion and generating an estimated $72 million in onchain revenue in 2025, despite sharp declines in token prices from prior market peaks. Many tokens are still down as much as 99% from their highs, underscoring the gap between speculative valuations and actual adoption, yet revenue-generating networks have continued operating. Research indicates that clearer regulatory environments and practical infrastructure needs in regions such as the UAE and Singapore are driving more tangible progress, suggesting that DePIN growth may increasingly take shape outside traditional startup hubs. Source
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has issued new guidance clarifying how federal securities laws apply to tokenized securities, formally dividing them into issuer-sponsored and third-party-sponsored models. A tokenized security is defined as a financial instrument that qualifies as a security under existing law but is represented as a crypto asset, with ownership records maintained on one or more blockchain networks. In issuer-sponsored structures, the issuer integrates distributed ledger technology so that on-chain transfers directly correspond to changes in the official securityholder records, allowing tokenized versions to be treated as the same class as traditional securities when rights and privileges are substantially similar.
The second category covers third-party-sponsored tokenized securities, where unaffiliated entities tokenize existing securities through custodial or synthetic models. Custodial tokenized securities represent ownership interests issued by a third party, with records maintained either on-chain or off-chain, while synthetic tokenized securities provide economic exposure without granting rights from the original issuer. This includes linked securities and security-based swaps, which are subject to eligibility and registration requirements. The SEC emphasized that tokenization does not change how securities are regulated and reaffirmed its willingness to engage with market participants seeking guidance, reinforcing that existing registration, disclosure, and compliance obligations remain fully applicable. Source
Unclaimed Ethereum linked to the 2016 DAO collapse is being repurposed into a long-term security endowment designed to strengthen the Ethereum ecosystem nearly a decade after the network’s most defining crisis. Around 75,000 ETH, now valued at roughly $220 million, will be redirected into the newly launched DAO Security Fund, formalizing an early plan by original curators to use leftover assets for ecosystem defence. Most of the funds come from edge-case DAO contracts that were never reclaimed after the controversial hard fork that split Ethereum and Ethereum Classic, transforming a historic failure into a lasting source of security funding.
The majority of the ETH will be staked to create a sustainable endowment, with staking rewards used to support audits, security tooling, and incident response, while a smaller portion will remain liquid to handle any remaining claims. Governance will rely on community-driven grant mechanisms such as quadratic and retroactive funding rather than direct control by core developers, with independent operators managing funding rounds. Oversight will be provided by a new board of curators that includes prominent Ethereum figures, reinforcing the goal of making Ethereum a more secure foundation for holding and managing value at global scale. Source
US market regulators are moving toward closer coordination on digital asset oversight as the chairs of the CFTC and SEC publicly committed to aligning their regulatory approaches. CFTC Chair Michael Selig announced that his agency will join the SEC’s Project Crypto, an initiative aimed at clarifying rules for digital assets. The collaboration is intended to create a clearer crypto asset taxonomy, define jurisdictional boundaries, reduce overlapping compliance requirements, and address regulatory fragmentation that has raised costs and hindered competition. Both agencies emphasized that the goal is not to merge mandates, but to eliminate unnecessary duplication while preserving market integrity, with SEC Chair Paul Atkins calling for an end to past interagency turf conflicts.
The push for coordination comes as Congress advances legislation to establish a clearer digital asset market structure, including a Senate Agriculture Committee vote to move forward a bill clarifying SEC and CFTC roles. At the same time, Selig outlined changes within the CFTC, including withdrawing prior rules and advisories that restricted political and sports-related event contracts, citing the need for clearer and more workable standards. Lawmakers also raised concerns about the CFTC’s limited leadership capacity, with a failed amendment that would have delayed new authorities until more commissioners are appointed. The agency remains understaffed following multiple departures, and no new nominations have yet been announced by the White House. Source
Kraken is launching a new product called DeFi Earn that allows users to access decentralized finance-style yields through the exchange’s existing interface. The product is designed to remove the technical complexity typically associated with DeFi by handling wallet management, asset conversions, and onchain interactions automatically. Users deposit assets, which are converted into stablecoins and allocated into vaults that provide liquidity to onchain lending protocols, enabling users to earn yields of up to 8% APY on cash and stablecoins without managing onchain processes themselves.
The infrastructure behind DeFi Earn is provided by Veda, with risk management and vault operations handled by Chaos Lab and Sentosa across several USDC-based strategies with varying risk profiles. Returns are generated from real onchain lending activity rather than promotional incentives, reflecting demand for capital in decentralized markets. The service will initially be available to users in most US states excluding New York and Maine, as well as in Canada and countries within the European Economic Area, marking Kraken’s latest effort to bridge traditional exchange experiences with DeFi yield opportunities. Source
Digital asset custodian Copper is exploring the possibility of an initial public offering as institutional demand for crypto infrastructure continues to increase. The move follows rival custodian BitGo’s recent debut on the New York Stock Exchange, and reflects a broader trend toward positioning digital asset custody as core financial market infrastructure. Copper, which is backed by Barclays, provides custody, settlement, and collateral management services to institutional clients, helping them manage digital assets while mitigating counterparty risk. While sources indicate that major banks are involved in early discussions, Copper has stated that it is not currently planning a public listing, without ruling out preliminary talks.
Growing institutional interest in digital assets has been supported by shifting US regulatory conditions and expanding adoption by traditional financial firms. Copper has been selected by institutions such as Cantor Fitzgerald and has partnered with Coinbase to support off-exchange settlement for large clients. BitGo’s IPO, despite post-listing volatility and a decline below its offering price, highlighted continued investor appetite for crypto-related firms entering public markets. Alongside recent listings by companies such as Circle, Gemini, Bullish, and Figure Technologies, Copper’s potential IPO would further signal the sector’s integration into mainstream capital markets. Source
Markethive is introducing the Hivepress system as a new approach to digital publishing and press releases, designed to simplify content creation, distribution, and monetization while generating revenue opportunities for members. Central to this initiative is the Franchive model, which allows individuals to launch and operate their own independent digital news sites without the typical costs or technical barriers. Each Franchive functions as a niche or location-focused publishing hub, supported by tools for content management, SEO optimization, automated distribution, and built-in analytics, all aimed at maximizing visibility and performance across a broad publishing network.
The system is structured to create strong network effects by enabling paid press releases and sponsored articles to be distributed across a growing ecosystem of independent sites, with revenue shared directly with Franchive owners. Additional monetization options include banner and video advertising, with all advertising revenue retained by the site owner, reinforcing a decentralized ownership model. Franchives operate under independent branding with flexible payment options, including cryptocurrencies and traditional methods, and are supported through an affordable setup fee that funds SEO services and ongoing syndicated content. Together, Hivepress and Franchives are positioned to redefine press release distribution and digital publishing by combining scale, independence, and community-driven growth. Source
Bybit plans to introduce a retail banking-style product that gives verified users their own IBAN, allowing them to send and receive funds across financial institutions in multiple fiat currencies. The feature is designed to let users deposit fiat directly under their own name, receive salaries, pay bills, and trade digital assets from a single account, reducing friction caused by banks that restrict crypto transactions. The online-only service targets users who struggle with access to traditional banking and aims to simplify everyday payments and large purchases using a unified fiat and crypto setup, with a launch planned for February in partnership with several banking providers.
The move positions Bybit among the first crypto-native platforms to expand into traditional financial services, as it continues to grow globally with tens of millions of users across more than 180 countries, though it does not currently operate in the United States or Canada. The company has ambitions to expand into the Americas and eventually pursue a public listing, while also continuing to navigate reputational challenges following a record-breaking hack in which 1.4 billion dollars in cryptocurrency was stolen, an incident later linked to North Korean state-backed actors, after which all customer withdrawals were still honored. Source
Bybit regained momentum in 2025 despite suffering the largest crypto hack on record, in which North Korean attackers stole 1.5 billion dollars by exploiting weaknesses in its cold wallet infrastructure. The exchange recorded total trading volume of 1.5 trillion dollars over the year, giving it an 8.1% share of the global crypto exchange market and placing it second overall by volume. CoinGecko noted that Bybit gradually rebuilt its position throughout the year, a notable outcome given that most hacked platforms struggle to recover due to operational disruptions and loss of user trust.
The broader crypto exchange market also expanded in 2025, with six of the top ten exchanges increasing their trading volumes and average volumes across the group rising 7.6%, adding around 1.3 trillion dollars in trades. MEXC posted the fastest growth, nearly doubling its volume after maintaining a zero-fee spot trading policy, while Binance remained the largest exchange by volume despite a slight year-on-year decline attributed to market weakness following a major liquidation event. Overall trading activity was supported by strong crypto price performance during the year, as Bitcoin and other assets reached multiple record highs. Source
Japanese Bitcoin treasury firm Metaplanet has raised 137 million dollars through the sale of 24.5 million shares and one-year warrants to fund additional Bitcoin purchases. The structure of the raise was designed to spread dilution over time, with warrant exercise prices set above current trading levels, allowing the company to increase its BTC holdings per share. Metaplanet currently holds just under 3 billion dollars worth of Bitcoin, or 35,102 BTC, and has a one-year window starting February 16, 2026, to deploy the funds for acquisitions, continuing its strategy of growing its crypto treasury despite market volatility.
The company has faced significant challenges, with its stock falling from a May 2025 peak of 15.35 dollars to around 2.77 dollars recently, though it has recovered slightly in early 2026. Metaplanet previously borrowed 100 million dollars against its Bitcoin holdings to finance purchases, reflecting the aggressive accumulation strategy. Analysts note that the rapid proliferation of Bitcoin treasury firms has fragmented investor attention and liquidity, raising questions about market concentration and potential future consolidation, while Metaplanet aims to maintain a competitive position in this crowded sector. Source
The Optimism blockchain will allocate 50% of its Superchain revenue to buy back its OP token over the next 12 months, beginning in February, following approval by its governance community. The initiative is intended to expand the utility of the OP token and link its value to the performance of the Superchain, a network of layer-2 chains built on Optimism’s open-source stack. The buybacks will be executed through a partnership with an over-the-counter provider, converting Ether revenue from the Superchain into OP tokens, which will then be held in the treasury for future ecosystem use.
The proposal estimates that, based on last year’s revenue, around 2,700 ETH—roughly 8 million dollars at current prices—would be allocated to buybacks. The accumulated OP could support token burning, ecosystem funding, and rewards for participants who secure the network. Despite the governance approval, the market response has been muted, with the OP token trading down 1.9% over the past 24 hours. The Optimism Foundation views the program as a strategic step to strengthen the OP token’s role and tie its value more closely to the success of the Superchain ecosystem. Source
DePIN token prices remain significantly below their all-time highs, with many down 94-99%, yet the sector is showing growth in on-chain revenue. Networks using blockchain to manage real-world hardware like storage, wireless, energy, and sensors are shifting focus from speculative valuations to actual economic activity. In 2025, the sector generated an estimated 72 million in on-chain revenue and maintains a market capitalization of around 10 billion. Leading projects now trade at 10-25 times revenue, a steep contrast to the extreme multiples seen during the 2021 crypto boom. Investors and projects are increasingly evaluating sustainability and unit economics rather than hype-driven growth.
The Messari report highlights that DePIN projects are turning to alternative financing models and enterprise use cases, including AI, to drive future growth. Platforms like InfraFi are testing crypto-native capital for infrastructure financing, though these approaches bring new credit, duration, and regulatory risks. DePIN networks are beginning to supply AI developers with compute, storage, and verifiable real-world data, shifting demand toward measurable outcomes over decentralization. Private investment remains active, with startups raising about 1 billion in 2025, especially at early funding stages, signaling continued confidence in projects that demonstrate recurring revenue and scalable operations. Source
Unclaimed Ether from the 2016 DAO hack will be redirected into a new security fund aimed at strengthening the Ethereum network. The DAO hack initially siphoned more than 50 million worth of Ether, prompting a hard fork that split the blockchain into Ethereum and Ethereum Classic. While most funds were returned through the claims process, around 200 million in unclaimed Ether remains, which will now be staked to generate revenue for supporting network security. The initiative focuses on ensuring that Ethereum becomes safer for users, with a strong emphasis on DAO-style governance and distribution methods.
Griff Green emphasized that although The DAO team has a capable developer pool, the primary goal will be on security distribution strategies rather than directly building projects. These methods include retroactive funding, quadratic funding, conviction voting, and ranked-choice voting, aimed at reinforcing the broader Ethereum ecosystem. Green highlighted that The DAO played a pivotal role in creating Ethereum’s security industry, as the hack catalyzed the adoption of smart contract audits, and the new fund seeks to continue that legacy by making the network more secure than traditional financial institutions. Source
SEC Chair Paul Atkins indicated that sweeping crypto innovation exemptions are unlikely to be issued in January as previously suggested, signaling a more cautious approach. The exemptions, which could cover areas like tokenized securities and decentralized finance, are still being finalized, and Atkins emphasized the need to carefully evaluate the details before implementation. The timeline shift comes amid ongoing deliberations in Congress over crypto-related legislation and after recent meetings with Wall Street firms expressing concern over the potential impact of broad exemptions on the financial system.
Atkins noted that while the status of the Senate’s crypto market structure bill could influence timing, the SEC is not necessarily waiting for its passage before moving forward. Concerns from major financial institutions, including JPMorgan and Citadel, highlight apprehension that exemptions for tokenized trading could undermine investor protections and cause market disruptions. The SEC’s approach now focuses on balancing regulatory clarity with market stability, reflecting a more measured rollout of any innovation-focused rules. Source
Circle Internet Group plans to focus on building more durable infrastructure in 2026 to encourage broader adoption of its stablecoins among companies and institutions. The company aims to advance Arc, its layer-1 blockchain for institutional and large-scale use, from testnet toward production, while expanding the reach and utility of its stablecoins, including USDC, EURC, and USYC, across multiple chains. Circle intends to improve integration with Arc and simplify asset management for institutional users, making it easier to hold, transfer, and program stablecoins as part of daily operations.
The company also plans to scale its payments network so that institutions can adopt stablecoin payments without building the underlying infrastructure themselves. Circle will continue enhancing USDC’s cross-chain functionality, streamlining developer tools, and expanding its partner ecosystem to extend global reach and practical use cases. With USDC holding the second-largest share of the US dollar-pegged stablecoin market at over 70 billion, Circle aims to support the broader growth of stablecoins in institutional finance and internet-scale payments. Source
Disclaimer: These articles are provided for informational purposes only. They are not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or any other advice.
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